BacSi

I do not know that hotel. But once you get to the airport the transportation into the city is quick, often, and cheap. A train from the airport to Central Station (20 mins top) And while the hotels are over booked everyone says that you will notice no change around town as far as crowds. Its still a great city and a beautiful time of the year. Next time a different time period and a longer stay.

Considering that small crappy two star rooms could be going for $200 a night you "might" want to try something. I have no idea what a really high bid would get you. Something in that $200 range. Most likely nothing. But that is the one thing I have not seen tried during this conference week. And $200-$275 or so for a 4 star would be a great deal for this week. Bad timing for sure

Sorry friend but you have picked the worst hotel dates of the year. By far. You are smack dab in the middle of the dreaded IBC. Most hotel rooms are fully booked. Those that are not are 2x-3x the normal rate. Or more. The best suggestion I can give is to look into an apt or a house boat. These tend to be somewhat less used during the IBC. (EDITED: Sorry an apt or houseboat will not work for a one night stay) If not that then maybe a close by town. But even those will be somewhat to a lot more expensive.

"Anyone have any tips for me to help me secure the Moevenpick?" Actually two of them. Book direct with the hotel or go to HOTWIRE and look for 4* Amsterdam East. That will/should be the Movenpick. There are 3 different 4 stars in play within Amsterdam Center at this time. The one you want to stay at and the 2 you do not. Following 4 star bidding in AMS every day for years now I can assure you I have no idea which hotel will go for what price point. Not now with all 3 hotels all being aggressive and close with their NYOP price points. $73 (or similar) recently has won the Movenpick the Carlton and the AMS Center. One day your bid might get the Movenpick but the next day the same bid might get one of the NH hotels. Those NH hotels are really good ones in great locations. But if you really do not want to stay in one then do not bid.

The Movenpick is in fact a hotel that does get sold out for a day here and there. This has at times been linked to the cruise industry. The hotel is not far from the Docks. You could always call the hotel and see how many openings they have for that date.

If the 24th is in fact sold out then for sure you would get a different hotel. Most likely one of the NH hotels. They both have smoking rooms.

$68 is a really low bid for a 4* in the center. Most of the recent wins we have seen have been closer to $75. That does not mean that $70-$74 will not get a winner. It just may be less likely.

See this Priceline Amsterdam thread

Bid lower? Seriously we have seen a few bad dates for the fall. Dates where good deals seem to be hard to find. But for the most apart fall wins seem to be in that $70-$79 range for the most part for a four star. A few very early wins saw some go in that $65-$69 range. But those have been few. "IF" your dates are not in one of those bad times then I would expect $70-$79 range for a win. The 3 four stars in play during the past 6-10 months have been the NH Amsterdam Centre, the Movenpick, and the NH Carlton. All good hotels.

Can't help you with any good 5 star insight. But someone I know just got a four star for 3 nights (Sept 24, 25, 26) for $74 for one night and $76 for the other two. They wanted to hotel hop. So they broke their bid up. they have the NH Amsterdam Centre ($74) and the Movenpick ($76) . The other 4* in play at this time is the NH Carlton. Four star is the way I would go

Cots can be had in all the 4 star hotels I stayed in within AMS. But they normally do charge. The rooms will be smaller than rooms in the US. They can seem small with only two people in them. You are technically over the two person limit for bidding on a PL room. The cost of renting the extra bed can be darn near what it will cost you for that 2nd room through NYOP. Unless you are a risk taker on a VERY strict budget I'd opt for 2 rooms when bidding. Safer in terms of bidding and you will enjoy the extra space a lot. Start about $70 for a 4 star and work your way up slowly. Stay away from closer to the middle of the month. Google IBC 2010 and check to make sure you are not bidding for these dates. This is important advice. Right now the 3 four star hotels in play are the NH Amsterdam Centre-----Movenpick----NH Carlton. All very nice hotels. Good Luck

"Bus 197 really handy for the airport. " No slepping your bags on trams. No transfer to a train. No question as to whether you got on the right train. Cheaper than the Shuttle. Way cheaper than a taxi. And a direct to the airport express. Less stress and les money than other ways. From the location of that hotel the 197 is pretty tough to beat.

As far as getting to the airport early you have several options from that hotel. Walking with bags is not one of them. --A tram to CStation. They run close by and they run often. --A Connextion Shuttle from the door of your hotel straight to the airport. --The bus. Maybe a 3 min walk from the hotel. Its I "think" the 197 bus (check that # to be sure) For a very small # of euros that bus will take you directly to the airport. When I stay at that hotel or in that area I never go to CStation and catch the train anymore. The other ways are just to easy for me.

While bidding on a 3* would help the rest of us by giving us some data it would be a big risk for you. There is virtually no traffic as far as 3* bidding for AMS. No data. No idea of prices. No idea of hotels or location. Month in and month out 4* is more predictable. We pretty much know the hotels. With some luck we pretty much know the $$ range for a win. And while 5* can be a great deal there is also less data to go on and a wider range of hotels and locations you might win.

$60 is just way to low. The lowest we are seeing now is in that $69-$75 range. Unless you run into a bad weekend or a big conference. Weekends can be a bit more expensive that week day. If you are getting a CO of $93 that should mean a win somewhere between $60 and $93. I'd be starting around $70 and hoping to get a win at or before $75 if it were me. By $80 for sure. If over $80 then you have really run into a bad patch. (the only win I see for your dates is the Wed ($74) ) The 3* in AMS is a black hole. It has been ages and ages and ages since I have seen a 3* win. Have no clue as to the prices have no clue as to the hotels you might get at a 3*. Stick with 4* is my advice.

Does the Marriott ever show up on HOTWIRE? If so as a 4* or 5*? As far as a free laundry (if that is in fact what they meant) the Marriott is the only hotel in the center that "I know of" that has a free laundry. It used to a PRICELINE NYOP 4 it is now a 5.

Well I am not sure if this is the same person or not. But on another travel site (not bidding) where a user just mentioned receiving the Okura May 22 for $120

Yes please update when you know more. An important piece of info if its what you have heard it is.

The reality is that a $1 increase above that $77 may do it. But that is what we get with an opaque system. We are never quite sure until we get a win. My "guess" based on your dates is that you are close. But only a real time bid will tell if I am correct or not. If you have the budget I'd do a couple of $1-2 increases. With luck you may only need one. Good Luck

A small correction. Its the NH Amsterdam Centre not the 3* NH City Centre that shows up as a 4 star winner quite often. But no mind----the AMS Centre is not available via the NH booking site either. Nor is it available thru booking.com Nor is the NH Carlton the 3rd 4* you are likely to get thru bidding. Its not Queensday, the IBC Conference, or gay pride. Usually the 3 "bad" time periods as far as booking. I think you are in for a tough go

The Movenpick is sold out? Not a good sign if you are a bidder. I just looked at the NH Amsterdam Centre for your dates and they do have openings. But fairly expensive (this is the other hotel you are more than likely to win at the 4* level) Maybe better luck with a 5* bid? We are seeing some busy AMS weekends this year. More so than last spring-summer. It may be nothing more than that.

June 18-20? A weekend is it not? We have been seeing some great $69 USD wins for 2010 already. Even during prime times. But we are also seeing some tougher bidding especially around popular weekends. And of course around Queensday. I am guessing here of course but I am betting somewhere between $75 and $82 for you. Unless you are really unlucky. And if the gods of bidding are against you then $83-$100. But so far, as best as I can remember without looking, its really only been around Queensday where folks had to get anywhere close to or over that $100 mark. Good Luck

I think wrob gives you the best advice. Those calls are cheap. But I have seen 15-20 Movenpick winners via PL NYOP bidding post about their stays. I have never read a post about any problem once you got to the hotel. Make sure you take your PL reservation confirmation with you anyway. I always call before I show up. But then I am putting in my bed, view, floor request on that same call.

Has the Hilton been downgraded for PL also or just HW? Nevermind. It was a stupid question. That hotel has not shown up on PL for ages.

Having spent a few weeks at the Marriott recently and 2 weeks at the AMS Centre I must say I enjoyed the AMS Centre more. And I say this as a fan of the Marriott. At least in my Jan stay the NH was as quiet and peaceful as any hotel I have stayed in. The lobby seemed more quite. The pace seemed slower. The Marriott by contrast had this busy feel at least on the lobby floor. Rooms? Marriotts are more modern for sure. But both IMO are equally nice. The NH will have an older feel to them. A little like the city itself. The TV at the Marriott is IMO better. Beds were both great. Bathrooms pretty close. The NH does have smoking rooms if that is an issue. All in all based on my Jan stay I would pick the NH over the M if price was not an issue. But not by a lot. I do like them both. But at the price you got ? Well case closed